StormFront
by NoLeafClover
Summary: FINALLY! It's done, fintio, finshed, complete. Wow, I never knew how much wrtier's block one story can generate. Actually, I may change the last chapter  mostly add a few things but for now, I'm done. Please R & R and also, enjoy.
1. Enter the Storm

Disclaimer/Author's Notes: I don't own 'Where On Earth is Carmen Sandiego?,' Dic does. However, I DO own Deric Storm and this story. Also, I don't know Zack & Ivy's last names so I made it up. This story was somewhat Inspired by the fan-fic 'Ties That Bind.' Some ages in this story: Ivy- 21, Zack-17, Carmen-31, Deric-21

**Chapter 1: Enter the Storm**

_Paris__, __France___

            "C'mon Ivy," Zack yelled to his sister as they approached the Eiffel Tower. Carmen had just stolen the crown of King Louis XIV from the Musee du Louvre and was now leading ACME's finest on a chase throughout the city. "This time, we got her for sure." Zack said enthusiastically. After over four years of 'cat and mouse' games, Carmen was going down. As the two detectives sped towards the Eiffel Tower, Zack and Ivy failed to notice a black motorcycle following them.

Screeching to a halt at the base of the tower, Ivy spotted Carmen entering an elevator heading up. "Go!" she yelled. "If we hurry, we can catch up with her." The two pushed their way through the crowd of tourists, hoping to catch the next ride up. As the door to the elevator starts to close, Zack and Ivy collide with a young man exiting the tram, causing all of them to collapse and caused Zack and Ivy to miss the elevator.

"Jeez, we are so sorry." Zack said handing the man his backpack. "We're ACME detectives. Carmen Sandiego was on a previous elevator heading to the top." 

"No problem." the man said, reaching down to help Ivy. "It's my first time in Paris. Always wanted to see the Eiffel Tower." Once Ivy was on her feet, she glared briefly at the man, upset about missing the tram. Zack noticed the look on his sister's face. 

"Ive, it was an accident." he said. "I'm sure…" Zack stopped for a second, realizing he didn't know who the man was. "Uhh…" Zack leaned over to their new acquaintance, "what's your name?"

"Deric." he said, looking at Ivy.

"I'm sure Derrick didn't mean to bump into us." Zack reasoned, trying to calm his sister down. 

"It's not Derrick." Deric said. "It's a weird spelling. D-e-r-i-c. My family is Irish." Glancing at Ivy, he said, "I _REALLY_ am sorry."

"No problem." Ivy grumbled. Looking away, she said. "We'll just get the next one. Maybe we'll get Carmen at the top." Deric smiled and walked away. Looking at his back, Ivy focused a little more on him. A minute later, Zack waved his hand in front of her face.

"Earth to Ivy," Zack said. "I said the tram's here. Let's go." Ivy blushed in embarrassment. On the way up, Ivy kept absently looking out the window. She was snapped to attention when she saw a large red fedora on the tram going the opposite direction. 

"Damnit." Ivy swore, punching the armrest. "Zack, look." She pointed at the descending tram. The exasperated detectives immediately got the next tram down, and as luck would have it, spotted Carmen in the crowd. "There she is, Zack." she yelled, running towards the red hat.  Making their way through the crowd, Zack and Ivy were getting closer and closer to their target. Once out of the crowd, the detectives dashed after Carmen. Heading down a deserted side street, Zack and Ivy searched every alleyway and lot for a trace of Carmen. When they searched everywhere, Zack saw an envelope on a garbage can.

"Hey Ive," Zack said, showing his sister envelope. "look at this." 

"Open it." Ivy said uneasily. The message said 'Open the can.' Zack shrugged his shoulders and went to open the can, believing Carmen left a clue inside. The instant Zack budged the lid, a net fired out of the garbage can, ensnaring both of the detectives. An apparatus rose out of the faux-garbage can, raising the net as well. As the two began to struggle, they could hear someone clapping. Both detectives looked to see a person in black sitting on a motorcycle.

"Well, well. If it isn't Zack and Ivy Darren, ACME's finest?" the masked man quipped, approaching the ensnared twosome. There was something familiar about the voice, as if the detectives had herad it before and recently. Once at the net, the figure removed his mask, revealing himself to be the young man Zack and Ivy met at the Eiffel Tower. "I must say I'm not impressed." Deric spat, mocking the two.

"Deric…" the two detectives stammered.

"You WORK for Carmen?" Ivy asked, fuming. "I should have known."

"Boy," Deric remarked, standing right in front of the net, an ear-to-ear grin on his face. "I wish you guys could see the looks on your faces. Absolutely priceless…"

"When I get out of this net," Ivy threatened as Deric put something on the ground and approached further. "I'm gonna wipe the floor with you, THEN I'm gonna put you behind bars." Ivy further accented her remark by shaking her fist at him. 

Deric grabbed the shaking fist. "Has anyone told you that you look very pretty when you're angry?" he asked as he kissed the back of her hand. Ivy was caught absolutely dumbfounded. Zack looked at Deric like he was a loon. "Carmen gave me something to give to you two once you get out of there." Deric said, pointing to the box on the ground. "So, I bid thee adieu." Revving the motorcycle's engine, Deric sped away.

About ten minutes later, the Chief's face appeared in front of the net. "Jeez, Gumshoes. I thought you'd be out chasing Carmen, but instead I find you _hanging around_." The two detectives rolled their eyes at the bad joke. "_Carmen_ did this to you?" Chief asked.

"No, Chief." Zack said. "It was a new henchman. Can you look up the name 'Deric Storm'? It's spelled D-E-R-I-C." The Chief accessed ACME's database as well as contacting the local authorities to cut the detectives down. 

Once Zack and Ivy were down, they picked up the clue left behind for them. It was a CD player in the shape of the sun. Zack was trying to figure out how to start it. The Chief re-appeared with the info Zack and Ivy requested. "Wow, this guy is no slouch." Chief asked, amazed. Even though he was a few months older than Ivy, young Mr. Storm was basically a younger, male version of Carmen. Carmen had found herself a quality henchman this time, and it worried the Chief.


	2. Raging Storm

Disclaimer/Author's Notes: Sorry this chapter took so darn long to finish. Being a college student ties up a great deal of my free time, as well as having a terminal case of writer's block. Hopefully, Chapter 3 won't take as long. As usual, I don't own "Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego?" Deric is **_MINE_** though…

****

**Chapter 2: Raging Storm**

Zack watched his sister nervously as she paced around like a caged animal. '_Man is she heated._' The young detective thought when he saw the fierce scowl on his older sister's face. '_I would **not**_ _want to be Deric when we catch him._' Zack was putting that nervous energy to good use trying to figure out Carmen's latest clue. It was a sun-shaped object about the size of a Discman. They had been working on it since they local police released them from Carmen's trap. Ivy had been in a rage ever since. Zack looked up to see his fiery sibling going off on a rant to the Chief. 

"…and when I catch that punk, I'm gonna throw him behind bars so fast it'll wipe that damn smirk off his face." Ivy nearly screamed. "Plus, he had the **_gall_** to kiss my wrist like he's some European nobleman. Oooh!!!" She balled her fists and looked over at Zack, who was staring. "Are you **done **yet, Zack?" she snapped. Zack yipped and immediately went back to work. Ivy angrily sighed and took a deep breath. "I'm going back to headquarters." Ivy told Zack as she activated the C-5 recall on her communicator. "I need to blow off some steam. Call me when you bust the clue." Zack nodded as his sister stepped through the blue energy and disappeared. When the energy bubble disappeared, Zack exhaled and went back to his task.

**_Back at ACME…_**

            Ivy stepped out of the C-5 corridor and into the women's locker room at headquarters. Changing into her workout clothes, she stepped out onto the mats and did a few quick stretching exercises. '_I should be helping Zack..._' Ivy thought, '_but I need to hit something before I go **crazy**._' Putting a CD into the stereo, Ivy began her workout on the heavy bag. She started with a few light kicks and punches to get a rhythm going. Soon, the kicks had more snap and the punches had more power behind them. Finally, Ivy went all out on the bag. A small crowd began to form around the redhead's fierce display. Ivy did not even notice as she launched into a flurry of knees and kicks. A knee to the imaginary groin, kick to kidneys, and a jumping roundhouse to the head which almost knocked the heavy bag off its hook. The dents became deeper and the sweat started pouring off of Ivy. However, she still couldn't beat the memory of Deric betraying her and her brother and the embarrassment of being fooled by a stranger out of her psyche. The face of her newest rival came into view in her mind. Cocky smirk, bold attitude, and nice on the eyes…

_'Huh!?!_' Ivy thought. '_Where did **that** come from?_' Rubbing her temples, Ivy gave up on the workout and decided to check in on her brother. After a quick shower, Ivy changed back into her normal clothes and headed for the C-5 launch site. '_I wonder what Carmen and Deric are up to right now?_' 

**_VILE Safe-house, French _****_Riviera_****__**

            As Ivy was finishing her workout, Deric walked into the seldom used fitness facilities at the VILE safe-house. After warming up on the treadmill, Deric soon went through a practice kata. He was practicing some techniques on a practice dummy when he heard snickering from the entrance of the gym. Lars Vegas and Moe Skeeter began mocking Deric by 'executing' some stereotypical karate poses, like the crane kick from the Karate Kid movies. Deric rolled his eyes disdainfully at the two henchmen. '_And these are supposed to be some of Carmen's **finest**._' he thought sarcastically. '_I'd rather have two chimps helping me on a heist instead of these two morons._' Deric laughed at the thought of two chimps dressed like the two in front of him. Lars noticed and took offense.

            "Something funny, kid." 

            "Yeah," Deric said standing straight up. "I was just wondering how two schmucks like you ever joined VILE." Both thugs started approaching the young man. 

            "You think you're betta than us?" Moe asked. '_Is the earth round?_' Deric thought, smirking. "Hey, Lars." Skeeter looked at his partner. "Rain here probably thinks he can take us with all that chop-socky crap?" Moe said, pointing at Deric. '_With one bloody hand tied behind my back._' Deric smirked again.

            "Actually, it's Storm, _Curly_." he mocked. "And yeah, I think I could take the two of you." Lars bull-rushed him, only to have his legs taken out from under him by Deric. With that, the fight was on. Deric danced around the two slower henchmen's attacks, all the while picking and choosing his shots. Things got serious when Skeeter grabbed a broomstick and charged at his target, intending to treat his head like a baseball. Or, at least he would have, if Deric didn't do a full split to avoid the attack and jump up to knock the weapon out of Moe's hands. The last thing Moe Skeeter saw was Storm's right fist connecting with his jaw. 

            At that moment, Carmen came into the gym to see what was causing such a ruckus. "STOP THIS AT ONCE!!!!!" she yelled and the remaining two combatants looked in her direction. "What in heaven's name is going on in here?" 

            "This little punk challenged me and Moe to a fight, Carmen." Lars lied, trying to get out of trouble. "First, he hits Moe with a stick and nearly breaks his face." Deric stood there, jaw agape at the blatant untruth. "Then he wanted to take me out. I say you should kick him out of VILE, boss. He's a loose cannon." 

            Deric had had enough. "Why you rotten son of a…" he began as he reached over to floor Lars.

            "That's _enough_ Deric." Carmen said coolly. Deric stopped dead in his tracks. Lars brined cockily at the young man. "Lars," The bumbling thief looked at his employer. "Take Moe to the infirmary. I need to have a few words with Deric."  Lars happily picked up his partner and gave Deric a 'you're a dead man' grin. Deric stepped towards Lars to finish the beating.

            "Deric," Carmen snapped. "I said _THAT'S ENOUGH_." Carmen's voice was a shade below yelling. Lars saw this blessing and all but ran out of the room. "Walk with me." Deric understood the tone of the semi-order. The mansion's grounds gave an unbelievable overlook of the ocean. The master thief and her apprentice walked along the mansion's gardens. "Do you want to explain what was going on in there?" Carmen asked.

            "Not really…" Deric just stared into the horizon. He took a deep breath and sighed. "It's just… how can you stand those… those… those **_IDIOTS_**?" he asked, exasperated. 

            Carmen pondered over that for a minute. With a smirk on her face, she responded, "They make me laugh." Deric shook his head and blinked several times in disbelief. Carmen laughed at the reaction. "Everyone in this organization has a purpose, even Moe and Lars. If you want to have a future here, Deric, you're going to have to understand that." 

            "When you brought me in," Deric said, looking out at the ocean, "I thought I would be matching wits with the best ACME has to offer. Now that I'm here, I don't know who to worry about more, the cops trying to catch me or whether my backup will cause me to get caught." Deric picked up a rock and threw out into the ocean. "From what I've seen, I don't see ACME as much of a threat after how easily I fooled their two **BEST** detectives." The young thief smiled at the memory. "Ivy's face was as red as her hair when I took off my helmet." Carmen frowned at the bravado.

            "Do _NOT_ underestimate Ivy & Zack, Deric." Carmen said, starting to walk again. "That kind of arrogance will come back and bite you in the ass." Deric snorted and followed. "They are very, VERY good at what they do. Plus, Ivy is one of the best fighters I've ever seen." Carmen turned and poked Deric in the chest. "She could even give you a run for your money if you're all pumped up on testosterone and bravado." The master thief and her apprentice re-entered the mansion and headed for its computer center.  "Here, sit." Carmen said, gesturing towards the chair. Confused, Deric sat in the chair. Carmen opened a file folder titled "Zack & Ivy" and a video file popped up on the screen. "Here," Carmen said, "watch the video and read the files. This folder has almost every bit of information gathered on Zack and Ivy Darren. It has their fighting styles, their tendencies, bad habits, et cetera." Deric whistled in awe as he opened the file folder and saw the sheer deluge of information. "A wise man once said 'Know your enemy.'" Carmen said. "Here's your chance." Carmen headed out of the room. "We leave for D.C. in four days." Carmen said. "Have fun studying." 

Carmen laughed as she left the room, leaving Deric with the ungodly amount of information at his fingertips. It really **_did_** have almost every possible bit of information about the two detectives, especially Ivy. '_All she missing is Ivy's address, phone number and measurements._' Deric thought as he leafed through the papers. '_Great googly-moogly!!!__ They even know her favorite **color**!!!_' Deric laughed at that. "Someone has **_way _**too much time on their hands." Deric started the video and began to take notes, trying to find the weak points, if any, in Ivy's fighting style. 

**_Paris_****_, _****_France_****__**

            The C-5 dropped Ivy in a park near the Eiffel Tower, where she found Zack sitting at a chessboard table. He was wearing a set of headphones around the back of his neck. The headphones were connected to the clue which Deric had left behind when they were ensnared. Zack was completely unaware of her presence as she snuck up behind him. 

            Ivy put her face right next to Zack's and said, "I see you cracked the clue." Zack jumped about three feet in the air.

            "Jeez," Zack squeaked, trying to get his heart rate back to normal. "Don't scare me like that, Ivy." Ivy laughed at Zack's reaction as she sat down across from him. "But, to answer your question," Zack said, his voice back to normal, "No, I haven't been able to figure out the clue." Zack handed Ivy the headphones.

            The clue consisted of clips of the song "To the Moon and Back" by the band Savage Garden. The CD only played the refrain of the song and the part of the song which included the astronaut countdown in the background. Ivy actually owned this album, so she knew a little bit about the song. Ivy listened to the clips a few times, trying to see if she could piece together a hidden connection or meaning. Then a thought popped into her head. "Chief," Ivy said, activating her communicator. "cross-reference 'firsts' with moon." 

After a few seconds, the pink screen which showed the virtual head of the Chief appeared. "Well, the first manned lunar landing was accomplished by the crew of Apollo 11. The first man to walk on the moon was Neal Armstrong in 1969." Ivy's eyes went wide. 

"Wait a minute. Isn't the Smithsonian unveiling a display commemorating the first moon landing, even having the original spacesuits worn by the crew in the display?" The Chief checked his databases and nodded. "What do you want to bet that's Carmen's next heist?" Zack gathered up the clue to take back to San Francisco. "Chief," Ivy, confident, "C-5 us to the Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C. We're gonna nab Carmen and that cocky punk Deric for sure this time." The two detectives disappeared in the C-5 engine's blue light, en route to the potential site of Carmen's next caper. 


	3. Storm Wrangling

**Chapter 3: Storm Wrangling**

**_Washington_********_D.C._****_ (Outside of the _****_Smithsonian_********_Museum_******

**"_…but where were they going without ever knowing the wayyy…_"** was what Carmen heard over the intercom. Deric was actually **singing **while he was scaling the outer wall of the Smithsonian. Carmen didn't know whether to laugh or chastise him.

"Deric," she asked, "are you insane?"

**"_Nope,_"** Deric quickly responded over the intercom, **"_just Irish._"**

'_Laugh._' The master thief thought. '_I have to give him credit... He certainly doesn't panic in big situations. _'

"I just never thought of you as a 'Fastball' fan, Deric."

**"_I'm not._"** he responded. **"_I just figured that would make more sense to sing than 'Piano Man' or '_****_River_****_ of _****_Dreams_****_.'_"** Carmen could tell by his voice that Deric was flashing that ear-to-ear grin of his. **"_I'm almost at the top, boss._"** Deric said, getting serious. **"_Where are the alarm wires?_"**

Carmen looked over the Smithsonian's blueprints. "Head towards the southwest corner. The console should be right up against the wall." Deric confirmed this seconds later. "Inside the console, you should see a set of six colored wires." Deric saw a group of blue, white, red, yellow, and green wires held together by zip-ties. He reached for his wire cutters and waited for the next set of instructions. "To bypass the alarm, cross the yellow and white wires." Placing the flashlight in his mouth, Deric set about completing the bypass. When the necessary wires were crossed, Deric headed for the nearest skylight. He opened the skylight very gingerly, as if still expecting the alarm to go off. When nothing happened, Deric took out his rappelling gear, and threw the rope into the blackness of the empty museum.

- - - - - - - - - - -

****

**_At a Nearby Location_**

"Ivy," Zack called his sister when the Smithsonian's alarm system, which was connected to the Zack Attack 20,000 system, fluctuated noticeably, "I think the rats have entered the trap."

"How can you tell?" Ivy asked, itching for some action. Zack clicked on the area where the fluctuation was registered.

"These spikes," Zack said, highlighting a cross-section of the line representing the connection in the alarm system on the screen, "indicate that the connection between the alarm systems was interrupted. It usually means that the system was tampered with."

"Could it be a short circuit or maybe the wire's faulty?" Zack shook his head no. He explained that if either was the case; there would have been more instances of the interruption, in somewhat of a regular pattern. "So," Ivy said, grabbing her jacket, "what are we waiting for? Let's go!!!" The two bolted out of the room and headed towards the Smithsonian.

- - - - - - - - - - -

****

**_Smithsonian – Interior_**

****The spacesuits from the Apollo 11 mission stood proudly in their display case, which at this late hour was being admired by two unusual visitors. Deric was trying to hack into the electronic lock using a small computer while Carmen stood behind, reading the display's information. Deric was typing frantically until the screen flashed green, signifying that he had unlocked the display. He nervously clapped his hands in victory. Carmen opened the case and gingerly picked up the priceless piece of American history.

"Deric," Carmen said, handing Deric the suit, "relax. You're jitterier than a june-bug."

"Sorry, Carmen." The young thief said, apologetic, "It just seems like this is _too _easy. Where are the guards? Where's the alarms?" Carmen nodded; it did seem to be going a little _too_ smoothly. As if fate was listening, Ivy and Zack suddenly appeared.

"Hold it right there!!!" Ivy yelled. "You're under arrest, Carmen."

"Happy?" Carmen asked as Ivy approached the two thieves. Deric just shrugged his shoulders and put his hands up. When Ivy got close, Deric launched a jumping roundhouse kick. After that, all hell broke loose. Carmen dropped the spacesuit and started running towards the exit.

"Zack," Ivy yelled, "go get Carmen." Zack immediately took off down the hall after the master thief. "You," Ivy said, staring down the remaining Deric, "are mine."

"Oh, really?" Deric said, flashing a cocky grin, "We'll see about that." Deric dropped into a defensive stance, as did Ivy. Deric tensed up his arm, which caused Ivy to initiate the first attack. She ran up to Deric and threw a roundhouse at his head, which Deric ducked easily. Deric attempted to sweep Ivy's legs out from under her, but she jumped backwards. Deric easily spun up and away from the red-haired detective. '_Something's not right._' Deric thought as he stared at the woman across the room from him. '_It should be harder than this. It's been fun, but **way** too easy._' Suddenly, a possible reason came to him. '_She thinks I'm one of Carmen's untrained goof-squad. She's not going all out. _' Now, Deric decided to push the issue. Running towards his target, Deric spun into a back-fist. Ivy ducked and then threw an uppercut, which was deftly caught by the young thief. Ivy then threw her free hand towards Deric's face. That hand was caught as well. Deric then grabbed Ivy's arms and twisted them into and 'X' around her neck. Suddenly he leaned his face next to Ivy's.

"You're holding back." Deric accused, somewhat winded, holding tightly to Ivy's crossed arms. Ivy nodded fiercely as she tried to squirm free. "Don't." Deric said as he pushed Ivy away. Ivy caught herself with help from a nearby display case. Turning to face her opponent, Ivy could see a smile start to form on Deric's face and felt one form on her own.

"Ready?" he asked, flashing that cocky grin. Ivy made the first move, throwing a charging roundhouse kick at Deric's head. The taller male dodged and threw a kick of his own, which was blocked by Ivy. The two continued their 'dance' throughout the museum, neither gaining a clear-cut advantage over the other. God help them, both loved every second of it.

'_Damn,_' Ivy thought as she rolled out of the way of one of Deric's attacks, '_he's good. He's not like any of Carmen's other lackeys._' Ivy connected with a side kick to Deric's midsection, doubling him over. A knee to the face would have put Deric down for the count… if he didn't throw himself into a back-flip before Ivy's knee connected. The back-flip, as well as Ivy' moving back to avoid being kicked herself by Deric's flip, created some distance between the two, giving both a much needed breath.

'_Great googly-moogly…_' Deric thought, catching his breath, '_She's unbelievable. Carmen **said** she was good, but I never would have thought she was **this **good. I've got a real fight on my hands here. _' Standing tall, Deric said, "Wow, you're incredible." Ivy looked at him, shocked. Was he hitting her and hitting on her? Ivy assumed it was a trick to distract her and scowled back. Deric saw this and decided to have a little fun. "You know," he said relaxing a little, "you're kinda cute when you're trying to beat my ass." Deric laughed a little at the comment; Ivy didn't. Grabbing a nearby brass pole from its velvet divider, she charged at Deric.

"Whoa!!" Deric said, dodging the attack. "Cut," he said, avoiding a swipe at his midsection. "It," this time it was a swipe at his head. "Out," a jab at his leg. "You," an upward slash. "Freaking Psycho!!!" Deric said as he caught the railing before it became attached to his left temple. He used the railing to push Ivy away and threw it to the ground where it rolled to a stop near the railing. "Jesus," Deric said, exasperated, "are you tryin' to kill me or something?" Ivy just gave him a death-stare. '_Uh-oh…_' Deric gulped nervously, '_she's startin' to get serious._' Ivy began to sprint towards Deric.

"Kiyah!!" Ivy screamed as she jumped into a flying sidekick aimed at Deric. Instinctively, Deric ducked underneath the detective, whose momentum carried her toward and **over** the balcony railing.

"Ivy!" Deric yelled as he tried to grab Ivy's outstretched arm. He got to her just as she cleared the railing, the sudden strain jerking him up against the railing as well. "Great googly-moogly," he said, trying to pull Ivy up with one hand while the other kept him from falling over the railing, "someone's a little heavier than she looks." Ivy absolutely fumed at the jab.

"Kiss my ass and pull me up." Ivy ordered. Deric tried to get his feet set for a stronger base. As he moved his right foot wider, Deric stepped on the overturned pole he took from Ivy and lost his balance and fell over the railing as well, saving himself and Ivy by grabbing hold of the railing with his free hand.

So now both were hanging by the strength of Deric's hand over a fifty foot drop to the museum floor below. Deric's arms were starting to strain, having to hold his and Ivy's collective weight. '_Think, Storm. There's gotta be a way out of this. _' he thought, looking around for something, **anything** that would help.

"Do something!!!" Ivy yelled.

"I'm thinking." Deric snapped back. Smiling down, he said, "Just _hang_ out for a while." Ivy gave him a look that could burn through concrete. Looking back up, Deric saw his possible salvation. Attached to his right wrist, was his zip-line shooter. '_If I can only reach the trigger…_' Deric thought as he tried to wriggle the device up. Unfortunately, the extra movement caused Deric's grip to loosen and slip. Both detective and thief screamed as they began to fall. Acting quickly, Deric pulled Ivy close with his left arm and pulled the zip-line shooter's trigger with his right hand. The zip-line fired across the room before finally hooking around a railing on an upper level. As the zip-line tightened, Deric and Ivy began to swing forward instead of down. '_Whew…_' Deric thought as he realized they wouldn't fall to their deaths. Unfortunately, their momentum was carrying them towards a large glass display case.

"Oh crap." Deric said as he released the zip-line, flinging himself and Ivy towards and through the display case. Covering Ivy's head with his right arm, Deric took most of the impact. Both combatants were knocked unconscious, though, by the impact.

A few minutes later, Deric came to. Looking around at the mess that was once a 'History of Altimeters' display, Deric found Ivy had only suffered a few cuts from the glass and a bump on her head from the impact. '_Good._' He thought, '_She's not hurt._' Standing up, Deric was starting to feel the effects of the whole night's ordeal. "Great googly-moogly." he said to no one, "That was surely NOT one of my better ideas." Hearing sirens in the back ground, he thought, '_Seems they're playing my song. Time to go.'_ As he was leaving, Deric knelt by Ivy's still unconscious body, he saw Ivy's communicator watch peeking out of her jacket sleeve. '_Might as well take a souvenir,_' Deric thought as he slipped the watch off of Ivy's wrist. One prize in hand, he ran back to where the spacesuit was and proceeded onto the rendezvous point to meet up with Carmen. Deric climbed through the skylight as D.C. police flooded the museum.

A few blocks away, Carmen was waiting in one of her escape vehicles. She opened the door when she saw Deric running towards her with Neil Armstrong's spacesuit in hand. He handed Carmen the suit as he took his post in the navigator's chair.

"Well," Deric said, sliding gingerly into his seat. "That surely didn't go as planned." Wincing from his recent injuries, he tried to get comfy.

"That happens from time to time." Carmen said, setting the jet to auto-pilot, so she could look over her latest prize. "We'll just need better luck next crime. Despite that, you did a remarkable job back there Deric." Pleased, Carmen went to place the spacesuit into a storage locker. Deric waited until she entered the cargo area and then took out _his_ prize, the communicator he had just taken off of Ivy Darren's slender wrist.

"Yeah," Deric thought aloud, "until next crime." He placed the communicator back into his pocket and drifted off to sleep for the long flight back to headquarters.


	4. Storm Before the Calm

**Disclaimer/Author's Notes****: Sorry, it took so long to get this chapter up. Thank you for being patience and for your reviews. Working towards a degree in sports business eats up a lot of time. Ok, the usual…I don't own 'Where On Earth is Carmen Sandiego?' Dic does. However, I DO own Deric Storm and Dan O'Myte. Epilogue should not take as long to put up.**

**Chapter**** 4: Storm Before the Calm**

**_Outside _****_Smithsonian Museum, _****_Washington_****_, D.C._**

"Alright detective," the paramedic said as he finished wrapping up Ivy's bruised ribs, "you're all set. I just have to get the release forms and you can go."

"Thanks," Ivy said, wincing in pain as she put her shirt back on. Zack was approaching the ambulance as she finished signing the medical release forms.

"You alright, Ivy?" Zack asked his sister.

"I've had better days, Zack." Ivy said, rubbing her shoulder. "So, what's up?"

"We have Carmen's clue." Zack said as the two began walking towards where the Chief's head was currently floating. There was a TV and VCR set up. Carmen had left a VHS videocassette at the display of her latest theft, the spacesuits of the Apollo 11 space-flight. "Alright, Chief," Zack said to the floating head that led ACME, "let's see what's on the tape."

The tape in question contained footage of Frank Sinatra singing "Fly Me to the Moon." Ivy wondered what the reason was that Carmen had been using musical clues dealing with the moon recently. She sat down, hoping to discern the answer from the tape.

**_Infirmary, VILE HQ_**

"Ok, Deric," Sara Bellum said, completing checking out Deric's VILE medical charts, "you're all checked out. The only real injury is a mild strain of the ligaments in your right shoulder. Just ice it daily and you should be fine." Deric got off the examination table and put his shirt back on.

"Thanks, Sara." Deric winced a little when he lifted his arm to put it in the t-shirt. "Considering I basically threw myself into a display at about thirty-five miles an hour, I feel pretty good." He said, stretching before wincing once again from some pain in his shoulder.

"You do realize that you're just wasting your talents here with Carmen." Sara said, out of the blue.

"Is that right?" Deric asked, wondering what Sara was talking about.

"I have a big heist in the works." Sara said, putting away the medical equipment. "Come work with me, and I'll make it worth your while with some _real_ mischief."

"What can you offer that Carmen can't?" Deric asked, really skeeved out by a possible answer he thought Sara might offer.

"How does **_three hundred million dollars_** sound?" Sara asked, a small smirk on her face.

'_Great googly-moogly, that's a crap-load of money…_' Deric blanched at the thought. "It sounds like a helluva lot of money. How'd you come across that much green?"

"A 'client' has offered to pay 1 billion dollars for delivery of a vital American landmark to a location in Saudi Arabia. He wants to send a message about the financial might of the Middle East." Sara said, barely above a whisper. "Interested?"

"Very." Deric said, shocked that an Arabian buyer would finance a plot to steal and deliver an American landmark, post-9/11. "But, can I think about it and give you my answer after I get back from California?"

"I can wait a little while, but not long." Sara answered. "We're on a tight timetable."

"What are you being hired to steal anyway?"

"That's a surprise." Sara joked. "Let's just say, it would be on the way back form Carmen's next target."

'_Great…_' Deric thought, '_That only leaves every landmark east of __Yellowstone_' "I can't get **_one_** hint, Sara?" Deric pleaded, flashing his trademark smirk.

"You would need a big bucket to clean up after the heist." Deric's eyes widened with the possibilities.

"I'll get back to you, Sara." Deric said, leaving the infirmary.

**- - - - - - - - -**

**_ACME HQ, _****_San Francisco_**

Ivy rewound the tape and watched Frank Sinatra sing again,

_Fly me to the moon  
Let me play among the stars  
Let me see what spring is like  
On a-Jupiter and Mars_

'_Moon…Stars…_' Ivy thought, rewinding the tape again. '_What does it all mean?_' She pushed play and watched the video again. After the video finished for the fifth time, Ivy thought about the items Carmen had already stolen. There had to be a connection. "So far, she's stolen the crown of Louis XIV and the spacesuit of Neil Armstrong." Ivy thought aloud, "What could this clue be hinting at?" Could it be the music? The last clue had led them to the spacesuit of Neil Armstrong. '_Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon._' Ivy thought, '_But how does that connect to the crown of King Louis XIV?_'

"Chief, can you cross-reference 'Neal Armstrong' and 'Louis the XIV'?" Ivy asked, hoping ACME's vast database could find a connection where she couldn't. The screen changed from the image of the Chief to show the almost limitless amount of factual information in ACME's CrimeNet database, not to be confused with the CrimeNet paramilitary group of ACME.

**- - - - - - - - - **

"Dan, how are things going on your end?" Carmen turned to Dan O'Myte, VILE's demolitions expert. Deric couldn't help but snicker inwardly at some of the names of the head henchmen in VILE. '_It **has** to be an alias._' Deric thought.

Dan stood up and gave his report, "The charges are all in place and ready to go." Deric couldn't keep his focus on Dan's report on the distribution of the charges around the base of the Chinese Theater. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sara scribbling notes furiously. It made him wonder who else Sara had made her offer to, as well as **_what_** Sara was hired to steal. Deric had narrowed it down to a piece of the Grand Canyon, a stretch of the Utah Salt Flats, or one of the casinos in Las Vegas. Deric shifted his focus back to the meeting when Carmen re-took the floor. Carmen gave out the assignments as to who was leading what chopper. In one chopper was Carmen, himself, and Al Loy. In the other chopper, were Sara, Dan, and the two nitwits. With the assignments given, the meeting dispersed so everyone could rest and prepare for the trip to the US. Deric noticed as he left that Sara was talking to Dan about the notes she had taken throughout his report.

**- - - - - - - - - -**

**_ACME HQ, _****_San Francisco_**

"Hot tip, gumshoes." The Chief appeared suddenly, all excited, "ACME just got an anonymous tip on Carmen's next heist." Ivy and Zack looked at each other with a shocked expression.

"Where?" both detectives asked.

"Mann's Chinese Theater, in Hollywood." Zack smacked his forehead with his palm.

"Of course," Zack, said, enlightened. "_Let me play among the stars_. Now it makes perfect sense. We were thinking of the wrong 'stars,' Ive."

"Well," Ivy said, getting up and grabbing her bomber jacket, "what are we waiting for? Let's go! We can catch Carmen and put an end to this little chase." She said with a lot of enthusiasm. '_Also, it'll give me another shot at that cocky punk Deric Storm._' Ivy thought with a somewhat sinister smile on her face. The two younger detectives sprinted out the door to the site of Carmen's intended target.

**- - - - - - - - - -**

Deric looked around at the people walking by him as he was setting up the charges that would loosen the foundation and allow VILE to steal the Chinese Theater. Dressed in the counterfeit uniform that was supplied to him, no one even noticed him. On the far side of the wall, Dan O'Myte was setting up the other part of the charge, which was actually designed by Sara Bellum. The charges actually dug into the ground about two feet, which helped keep the building's foundation from falling apart when it was being lifted. Deric didn't know the whole deal behind the charges; he just hoped they got the job done.

"All right," Dan said after setting a charge halfway down the wall from Deric, "that's the last charge. Let's light this candle." As Dan was about to hit the trigger, police cars swarmed down the street, screeching to a halt in front of the landmark theater.

"THIS IS THE ACME DETECTIVE AGENCY ALONG WITH THE LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT." One of the officers with a megaphone said. "WE HAVE YOU SURROUNDED. SURRENDER PEACEFULLY."

"Yeah, right." Dan said as he tossed a charge at the police which created a smokescreen, allowing the thieves to momentarily escape captured. The VILE agents scattered, with some trying to run behind the theater. Carmen, of course, sped away easily from the scene. Dan and Sara Bellum ran towards their chopper to use as a getaway. Deric, Moe and Lars ran down a back alley near the theater. Al Loy and some of the other nameless henchmen were apprehended by the authorities.

Deric followed Moe & Lars down the nearest alleyway. The plan had gone right to hell in a hand basket. Somehow, ACME had found out **_exactly_** when they were going to steal Mann's Chinese Theater and set up a trap. When ACME agents and the police flooded out of the theater, everyone scattered. Al Loy was apprehended almost immediately. Carmen sped away in one direction, Sara and Dan in another, and Deric was following Moe and Lars who had a good 100 yards head-start on him.

Deric followed Moe and Lars down an alleyway, where he saw them climbing up a fire escape. As he sped towards the ladder, Moe spotted him and pulled ladder up and out of reach. '_Okay, so that's how you want to play._' Deric thought as he continued to run towards the fire escape. He jumped onto a dumpster and then propelled himself off the wall and grabbed onto the fire escape to pull himself up. Deric quickly ascended up the fire escape to the building's roof. He found Moe and Lars looking over the side trying to find a way down or to the next building. Both spotted the younger thief and began to walk towards Deric with malice in their eyes.

Lars picked up a 2x4 which was lying nearby and stalked towards the younger thief. Moe found a metal chain and did the same. Deric got into a ready fighting stance to defend himself, yet kept an ear open for oncoming police sirens.

"Guys, can we settle this _later_?" Deric reasoned, "Handcuffs don't go well with my Irish complexion."

"There's no way we're gonna let some young punk make us look foolish." Moe said, moving closer to Deric.

"Yeah, you've made us look stupid for the last time…" Lars said.

"I kinda doubt that." Deric muttered under his breath. Lars was the first one to swing. Deric dodged the first swing and caught the 2x4 on the second pass and used it to catch the chain swung by Moe. The chain wrapped around the board and was hooked by a nail imbedded in the wood. As Moe and Lars each pulled on their weapons to try and free them, Deric used where the chain and wood were joined as a balance point for a jumping split kick which knocked out the two inept criminals. Deric kip upped and looked down at the two. "Morons," Deric spat as he straightened up his clothes and exited the scene.

Deric was a few blocks away when he finally slowed down. Ducking into a nearby alleyway, he striped off the counterfeit maintenance uniform revealing regular clothes and an extra pair of shoes. Tossing the uniform and boots into a nearby dumpster, Deric put on a baseball cap and proceeded to walk out the other end of the alleyway, blending in with the mass of humanity walking throughout Los Angeles.

After walking a few miles, Deric pulled out a cell phone from his pocket and dialed a number. "Hey…" he said, into the phone, "Yeah, I got away. No, they didn't." After listening to the voice on the other end, he asked, "Where do you want me to meet you?" Listening again, he said, "Understood." Closing the cell phone, Deric then proceeded down the nearest subway entrance.

Two hours later, Deric met up with Carmen at an abandoned air field out side of Los Angeles. Once both were on board the helicopter, they started heading northeast.

"I was surprised when you called me, Deric." Carmen admitted when they were in the air. "I had thought you were in Sara's helicopter. With all the chaos, I wasn't able to keep track of who went with whom."

Deric gave her a puzzled look. "I figured Sara would have contacted you already." Carmen shook her head no. Some of the color went out of Deric's face. "Oh crap…" he thought aloud.

"What's wrong?" Carmen asked.

"Sara came up to me a few weeks ago and asked if I wanted to be part of a side job." Deric said. "I asked her what the job was and she told me it would be to steal something located on the way back from this caper. Quick, name some landmarks which we would be flying over." Carmen mentioned the Grand Canyon, the Luxor, Caesar's Palace, and some of the other famous hotels on the Las Vegas strip, the Hoover Dam… The light suddenly went on in Deric's head. "The Hoover Dam… Of course, it makes perfect sense now." Carmen was still puzzled. "Sara was hired by some Middle Eastern men to steal something which would show how easily the US could be crippled. If you steal the Hoover dam, you take out one of America's most vibrant cities and cause billions in damage in the process." With a serious look on his face, Deric said, "Can we track Sara's chopper with this thing?"

"Yes," Carmen answered, "we just need to set the radar frequency to the other chopper's black box." Carmen began to change some of the radar's settings. "We're going to need a little help on this as well, Deric. I'm going to call ACME." Deric was shocked. Why in the hell should they work with the people whose sole purpose in life is to put them behind bars? Deric didn't like it but acquiesced to the wisdom of the famous thief as she put in the call to ACME. Carmen explained the situation to the Chief who agreed to work together. Carmen told them where to meet her and Deric.

**- - - - - - - - - -**

"I don't trust them." Ivy said when the connection with Carmen ended. "It's gotta be a trap."

"Maybe," Zack said, "but what if it isn't? Could you imagine the amount of damage that would be caused by trying to blow a part of the Hoover Dam off?" Ivy stopped to think about that. Any damage to the Hoover Dam could cause billions in damage and countless lives lost. "Besides, Ivy, when has Carmen ever wanted to cause that much damage trying to steal something?"

"All right, I get your point." Ivy groaned. This impromptu partnership would mean working with that cocky bastard, Deric Storm. If it meant saving the dam and the residents of the nearby towns, she could play ball.

They met Carmen and Deric at the agreed upon rendezvous point. Carmen and Deric were already waiting there with Dan O'Myte and some of the minor henchmen knocked out and tied up. Ivy thought they were doing this as a phony show of good faith. She wasn't buying it however.

"I don't see why we need _them_," Ivy said, looking at Deric with thinly concealed disgust, "We could probably find Sara better on our own."

Deric snorted. "Whatever, Princess. You would never have known about this until it was too late." He winked at Ivy with a hint of arrogance. "Admit it; you need us as much as we need you right now."

"Let's try to focus here, children." Carmen said, taking charge, "Deric, play nice." The younger thief held his hands up in surrender. "Ivy, Zack, trust me, this isn't a trick to get rid of you two. Here's the plan, we'll split up and head to opposite ends of the Dam and work our way towards the middle." Carmen handed the two detectives a radio from the chopper. "We'll use these to keep in contact with each other."

"How do we know you won't abandon us five minutes later?" Ivy asked, staring a hole right through Deric, who growled something about good faith in response.

"Ivy, let it go for now." Zack said, being a voice of reason, "We can arrest them later." With that, the two teams split up. Zack and Ivy headed for the Nevada side of the Dam while Carmen and Deric headed for the Arizona side. Both teams began searching frantically through every room they could find. Zack and Ivy also rounded up the various henchmen they found throughout the dam, and had them C-5'd to the proper authorities. But still, they could not find Sara Bellum.

Around the same time, Carmen and Deric were having the same kind of luck as they entered the main engineering section of the Hoover Dam. Luck was with them though as Carmen and Deric found Sara setting most of the charges in an engineering room. To Carmen's surprise and disapproval, Deric brought out two handguns.

"Deric, you know my rule about firearms on heists."

"Don't worry, boss." Deric said, removing one of the ammunition clips, "They're rubber bullets. I'm not going to try and kill her." Deric winked to show Carmen he wasn't a cold-blooded monster. They moved stealthily along the walls until they were almost right behind Sara. Deric cocked the guns which cause the mad scientist to turn around.

"Stop it now, Sara." Deric said, brandishing two handguns. "This is insane. Thousands of people'll die if you blow apart the dam." To emphasize his point, Deric cocked the two pistols.

Carmen flashed a small smile. "You are right, _detective_," Carmen said right at Deric, who paled instantly, "she is insane. However, I don't think shooting her will solve any problems."

"How long?" Deric asked, wondering when Carmen found out his secret.

"Carmen, what are you talking about?" Sara Bellum asked, really confused at the situation.

"Deric is an ACME detective working undercover." Carmen said plainly, as if it was common knowledge. "But, Deric, to answer your question, I always had my suspicions. What settled it was your attitude change after we stole the spacesuit, you seemed like you were really hiding something." Deric kicked himself inwardly at the revelation. Taking a steeling breath, Deric pointed one of the guns at Carmen.

"Carmen Sandiego," Deric said with a hint of regret in his voice, "you're under arrest." Sara began to fiddle with the wiring when Deric's attention was split. Turning his head, Deric said, "I thought I ordered you to freeze, Sara. Don't make me shoot you. Rubber bullets won't kill but they'll sting like hell."

"You must choose, Deric," Sara said, still fiddling with the last charge, "arrest me or Carmen."

'_Oh hell._' Deric thought, as he realized his predicament. In his current position, there was no way he could get both criminals. Arresting Carmen would make him a hero and a legend at ACME, but it would allow Sara Bellum to destroy the Hoover Dam and kill countless thousands and cause billions in damage with the ensuing flood. Arresting Sara would save the dam and the nearby cities, but would ruin over a year of undercover work by letting Carmen Sandiego walk away. Deric sighed and made his choice. "Vaya con Dios, Carmen." He said, pointing both guns at Sara. "Sara Bellum, you're under arrest." Deric said, approaching the mad scientist. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and _will_ be used against you in a court of law."

"I also have the right to run away." Sara said, breaking into a run… until she collided into a hanging pipe and knocked herself senseless. Deric couldn't help but laugh hysterically. He put the cuffs on Sara and then set about trying to disarm the triggering explosive.

"Zack, Ivy…" Deric spoke into the radio he was given, "it's Deric. I've found Sara and the trigger bomb. We're in Engineering room A-4." That was on the other side of the dam from where the two detectives were.

"Chief, can we C-5 to Deric's location?" Zack asked. The Chief nodded and seconds later the C-5 Corridor appeared. As soon as it opened, the two siblings jumped right in. Zack and Ivy landed right where Deric and the unconscious Sara Bellum were. Deric was still tinkering with the "trigger" bomb, trying to disarm it and save the dam. Carmen, however, was nowhere to be found.

"Where's Carmen?" Ivy demanded.

"She split. I stayed. Deal." Deric said, not even looking up, still checking over the set-up of the triggering explosive, which read three minutes, forty seconds before detonation. Zack was putting a set of handcuffs on the unconscious Sara Bellum, and putting in a call for a C-5 pickup. Seconds later, the blue sphere appeared, with its destination being ACME HQ.

"Deric, we gotta go." Ivy pleaded as the C-5 corridor appeared.

"I'm not done yet!" Deric snapped as he tried to find a way to detach the bomb from the wall without setting it off. Zack dragged the VILE mad scientist through, and let Ivy try to talk the brash thief into coming as well.

"Jesus, Deric," Ivy pleaded, exasperated, "For once, will you try _not_ to play the hero. We've done all we can. The towns are evacuated, so collateral damage will be at a minimum. Let's g…" Ivy never had a chance to finish her sentence as Deric grabbed her and kissed her deeply. Ivy was too stunned to speak, which even made Deric's trademark grin widen.

"I've been waiting two months to do that." Deric smirked. Handing Ivy a piece of paper, he said, "Here's where the stuff Carmen and I stole is located. Make sure they go back where they belong." before he grabbed Ivy and pushed her through the C-5 corridor. Watching it close behind her, Deric went back to trying to diffuse the bomb. Seeing only two minutes remaining on the timer, Deric just decided 'to hell with it' and yanked on the whole bomb. When it didn't explode in his hands, Deric breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, feeling victorious.

Then, reality set in. "Great googly-moogly." Deric said out loud, "I've got a bomb in my hands with enough power to blow a large hole in the Hoover Dam. What in the bluest of blue hells am I doing sitting here?" Getting up, Deric sprinted towards the outside entrance.

**- - - - - - - - - - **

_ACME Headquarters, __San Francisco_

Ivy materialized in the control center back at ACME headquarters. Looking around, Ivy quickly became aware of her surroundings. She saw Zack typing frantically on the computer and the Chief floating around nervously. She immediately got up and ran to the terminal.

"Can we C-5 him out of there?" Ivy asked, almost panicking. Zack, still typing frantically, shook his head.

"No," Zack said. "He doesn't have a C-5 communicator to lock on." Ivy's eyes widened.

"Send _me_ back then." Ivy said, heading towards the C-5 launch bay. "I'll grab him and you can use my signal to lock on."

"No way, Ivy!" Chief said, very nervous. "It's too dangerous. What if you land just as the bomb is exploding? I'm not sacrificing two people at the same time." The computer was currently displaying a live feed from the Hoover Dam. As Ivy was staring down the Chief, a large explosion was seen on the screen. The two detectives just stood there, looks of horror plastered on their faces.

"Nobody could survive an explosion like **_that_**." Zack stammered.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: So, we've come to the end of our merry tale. I would just like to thank everyone who reviewed my work. I sincerely appreciate it. So, now here we go. I think everyone gets the jist by now… but for those who walked in late… I DO NOT OWN CARMEN SANDIEGO. I however do own Deric and the character of Nace Bilby is owned by SoulReaver. I am actually working on sketches of Deric, Nace, Ivy, & Zack as I see them.

****

**Epilogue:**

_Two weeks after the end of Chapter Four_

"Congratulations, detectives," the Chief said, inputting the last bits of data on the last case into ACME's archives, "You recovered the crown of King Louis the XIV, Neil Armstrong's moon-suit, and kept the Chinese Theater from being stolen." Zack and Ivy weren't in much of a mood to celebrate.

"Carmen still got away." Ivy said, staring at nothing. She still pictured Deric Storm kissing her and then the next thing she knew, she was back at ACME headquarters with a piece of paper in her hand showing them where the crown of Louis XIV and Armstrong's spacesuit were. "Plus, there was extensive damage done to the Hoover Dam." She said, remembering the blackened interior of the tunnel from the engineering room leading to an open viewing area in the Dam's wall. The crime scene investigators had not found any trace of Deric's body. '_Cocky, stubborn bastard…_' she thought, a tear starting to form, '_I told you not to play the hero. I was gonna stay and argue before you kissed me. That kiss may have saved my life._'

"There's been no sign of activity on Carmen's end in the past two weeks." Zack said, reading one of his many comic books.

"She's probably laying low and recouping some of her recent losses," Ivy said, flicking away the tear. "You have to remember, Zack, we did apprehend most of Carmen's inner circle along with fifteen 'minor' henchmen in the sting in Hollywood." Within twenty-four hours, ACME had apprehended five of Carmen's top henchmen: Al Loy, Sara Bellum, Dan O'Myte, Lars Vegas and Moe Skeeter. Also, with the inclusion of Deric being classified as missing in action, VILE had lost some of its heaviest hitters. Even for an organization like VILE, this wasn't _that_ heavy a blow, but it was still a blow to their roster.

"Do you have anything else for us until Carmen reappears?" Ivy asked, not looking forward to days of nothing but tedious paperwork.

"Actually, I have a favor to ask of you." Zack and Ivy looked up at the Chief's floating head. "We're getting two new transfers today and I would appreciate it if you could show them around."

A Caucasian man entered the Chief's office, then. He was rough shaven; even his hair was cut extremely short. It seemed to fit on his stocky frame. He walked with a style that implied military training. "Detective Bilby, reporting for duty, sir." He said, with an accent that sounded almost Australian, and snapped a salute.

"Ah," The Chief looked at the new arrival, "detectives, I would like to introduce Nace Bilby. He is a transfer from ACME's Johannesburg branch." The Chief seemed a little confused, though. "Nace, where's your partner?"

"He had to make a quick stop, sir." Detective Bilby said as footsteps could be heard coming down the hall. The person who entered the room shocked both Zack and Ivy. Standing before them, with a bandage around his forehead, a black eye, and his left arm in a sling was one Deric Storm. The siblings were on their feet in a flash and ready to fight.

"You have to have a lot of brass or be completely out of your mind for strolling in here Deric." Ivy said, eyeing the man before her, "Or are you here to turn yourself in." Deric flashed that irritating smile of his.

"Neither." Deric said, tossing a wallet in Ivy's general direction, which she caught with ease. Opening it, Ivy was shocked to discover an ACME badge and personnel ID card. 'ACME Undercover Unit' was emblazoned above the picture of Deric. Stunned, Ivy handed the ID to Zack, who had nearly the same reaction.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa…" Zack said, not believing what he just looked at, "Back the swerve train up. You're one of _us_…"

"Yep." Deric said, his smile widening, "who do you think your 'anonymous' source was when Carmen planed to steal the Chinese Theater?" Ivy and Zack's looks of shock grew at the information.

"How in the hell did you survive that explosion?" Ivy asked, starting to become angry.

"C-5'd out at the last second," Deric explained, "but as you can tell, I didn't get out unscathed." Deric motioned to his injuries. Ivy brought her hand to her chin, thinking about something.

"How?" Ivy asked. "You didn't have a C-5 communicator." Deric reached into his pocket and pulled out Ivy's missing communicator watch.

"Actually, I did," Deric smiled innocently, "You 'dropped' this in D.C., so I 'held' onto it." Ivy's face turned redder than her hair due to anger. Deric tossed the watch back to its owner and said, "Next time you may wanna hold on to it a little bit better." with a smirk. Ivy, who was absolutely fuming at this point, walked right up to Deric and smacked him flush across the face and then walked out the door.

"Freakin jerk." Ivy fumed, "I can't believe I was worried about him." Ivy could be heard snarling and swearing as she moved further down the hall. Back in the Chief's office, Zack, Chief, Nace and Deric were still standing there. The right side of Deric's now turned face held a large red welt from where Ivy's hand had struck. Zack, Chief and Nace were still pretty much dumbstruck from what had just happened.

"That couldn't have felt too good." Nace said, breaking the awkward silence.

"At least she's not angry at me." Deric said, smiling wolfishly.

"Where do you get _that_ idea?" Zack asked incredulously.

"She didn't slug me." Deric said. Reaching out to shake Zack's hand, he said, "At least we're on the same side now." The Chief decided to speak at this moment.

"Well, until Ivy comes back, all I can say is welcome to San Francisco, detectives."


End file.
